alan campbell
Active Member
- Joined
- May 18, 2009
- Messages
- 32
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I don’t think that most of these folks following this site really have an idea of what the sea can do.
That’s a pretty big generalization. I’m guessing many have including myself have been in comparable or worse. Never fun especially in a small boat but always great full to be back at port safely.I don’t think that most of these folks following this site really have an idea of what the sea can do.
Very much agreedThat’s a pretty big generalization. I’m guessing many have including myself have been in comparable or worse. Never fun especially in a small boat but always great full to be back at port safely.
I feel you, but unfortunately here with our usual summertime trades the conditions are almost always rough. Just the nature of the bEast side, as we call it. Not much we can do about that, of course 10ft @ 8 seconds is an extreme for me and not something I’m likely to go out in unless I’m doing a canoe race escort. That said, I’d say the average summertime condition is 6-7ft at 8-10seconds, which guys here fish in much smaller boats without issues. Most here fish to put food on the
October can me a mixed bag in NY. Some days it's horrible, windy and cold (even snow), others not so much. We were out on Sunday and my wife didn't want to come back in. Then a couple days later and we have a nor'easter.When I bought my 226 from marina near Boston I asked if I was crazy to try and run it the 200 miles South to NYC in late October. The marina owner who has been selling Gradys for 30 years joked, "you'll break long before that boat does". Completely true. My experience has always been its only a matter of comfort, not safety (within reason...)
DingDing- We have a Winner here folks....Years ago, I know of a 228 Owner who "almost" endured some big ass swells off Half Moon Bay, California.
It was Crab Season (this time of year) and I recall the swells were in the 12-15 foot range. The boat was entering our Harbor and rolled turtle with these large swells parallel to the boat. They were in the wrong place at the wrong time. The two guys on the 228 both drowned. They had their life jackets on but had the rear curtain zipped down. Then the boat rolled upside down - they were trapped.
I owned a 228 and remember it has a beam less than 8'6". Not that it matters but it's a narrow boat and if parallel to a set of large waves, it can and will roll. Many larger boats will roll as well so it's not unique to the 228's design. If the guys didn't have that rear curtain zipped down, they would have likely wiggled out.
Lesson learned - when in doubt, don't go out. And don't get overconfident in any boat if the weather sucks.
I've got a 2020 228. I'm on the Pacific, northern California. 3-5 @ 12 is a glassy flat ocean in my opinion, it's rare that we see that.Honestly i would be very concerned about falling out of the boat with that swell and period if the boat went to a beam sea. I prefer no more than 3-5 and no less than 12 sec and wind less than 15 knots. Thats for a 228. Anything more than that and you really are working the boat to manage the sea.
I'm a little confused because I'm about 1.5 years into running my 228, my first boat (that worked). Running in 6@9 is not that hard, in my experience, I have that responsive digital throttle and my hand is on the throttle 100% of the time, my eyes are on the swells 100% of the time, the ride is not that bad when I'm adjusting, when I started I could not predict which swell would launch us, I'm still not great, I get it right about 50% of the time, getting it right makes the ride better.I sure would love to see some video of you guys running in 6-8 at 8-10, in your Seafarers. We might all learn something.
Thats so spaced out it's not that crazy. 6 footers in the Gulf and there is a new Grady reef.I sure would love to see some video of you guys running in 6-8 at 8-10, in your Seafarers. We might all learn something.
True enough....Thats so spaced out it's not that crazy. 6 footers in the Gulf and there is a new Grady reef.
I look at windy.com and I look at waves. All of my friends who boat look at wind so you are right, the wind matters as well." 6@9 is not horrible, it's sort of at the edge of OK to not fun. 5@10 is fine, we're fishing." These are very realistic conditions to fish here in the PNW, as long as the wind is less than 10ish knots. Once you get a wind chop on a 6@9, the fun factor goes way down. Another big factor are the tides, it will dictate if and when you can cross the bar. There are may factors to consider other than how rough of water your boat will handle. Do your homework so poor judgement does not jeopardize your safety or your crews safety.